P-I archives: 1889 Great Seattle Fire pictures

A photo looking west from Second Avenue and Columbia Street after the Great Seattle Fire, June 1889. See a larger version of the picture here.

Today from the seattlepi.com archive we have two photos showing the aftermath of the Great Seattle Fire.

The Great Settle Fire occurred June 9, 1889, after carpenter John E. Back, 24, poured water on a glue fire started in Victor Clairmont’s basement woodworking shop. The glue went around the shop on the southwest corner of First Avenue and Madison Street after Back poured the cold water. Wood shavings were ignited, and the blaze kept growing.

Seattle’s central business district was destroyed.

Information with the seattlepi.com archive photos say the images were taken from the top of the Boston block, showing the west side of Second Avenue, all of First Avenue and the harbor the morning after the fire.

However, information with the pictures states they were taken the morning after the fire. But writing on the photo state the images were taken in July 1889.

If you’re interested in the history of the Great Seattle Fire, check out this brief description from Historylink.org, see this Seattlepi.com gallery of archive photos, and this essay by Hugh McGough